The Gentlemen of Gloucester

This an account of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, a Pennsylvania Army National Guard unit founded in 1774 (and still going strong) that elects its own leaders and owns its own armory. By 18th-century tradition, gentlemen who would qualify to serve as officers in other units choose instead to enlist in the Troop as privates and forgoe their military pay. Since the American Revolution, the organization has functioned as a leadership school, instilling a unique blend of Quaker humility and cavalier panache.